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Month February 2015

I tried to make some entries with some kind of consistency back in 2012/2013, but I just couldn’t stick with it. Only two rants made it to publication, and one, it turns out, was just a never-ending charade about what I think I thought I was going to write about. The other one had some substance; substance that I would like to revisit…mostly because my prediction is becoming fruition.

Unfortunately, I deleted it in an effort to delete this blog altogether. The scenario was that Bret Bielema had just announced that he would be leaving his job as the head coach of Wisconsin for the vacancy of running the Arkansas Razorbacks’ program. And all the die-hard, cow-tipping Badger fans were throwing their hands up in a tizzy. They didn’t get it. Some still don’t. But I understood it.

Facilities, weather, conference, recruiting….take your pick: Arkansas is better. At the time, Wisconsin may have been the more desirable program, but Arkansas was the more desirable job.

Rather than list everything that the Badgers are good at (and the Razorbacks are bad at), let’s assume Arkansas only has a football program (although their Men’s Basketball is doing pretty well this year). But that’s the point: if they’re only known for one thing, then where do you think all the athletics funding is going? To help rebuild the swim team?!? If you get the funding and the boosters, you get the facilities. If you have the facilities, and you’re a proven coach, it’s much easier to recruit. Football is where the money is. Especially SEC football. That’s why I can’t blame Bielema for leaving; anyone that thinks ahead would’ve also.

If you think I’m alone, ask Gary Andersen. He jumped ship for Oregon State. It’s the same situation as Bielema’s. Leave Wisconsin for a better job with every opportunity to rebuild the program in a rising conference. I love it!

The best part is that I’m just entering the two words that make every head coach in the Big Ten brown their pants: Urban Meyer. He was one of the best coaches in any sport before the Buckeyes won it this year. With a third string quarterback that hadn’t played a single game all season, he waxed Wisconsin, exposed the Tide, and embarrassed Oregon.

Two years ago, I stated that Wisconsin would not reach another BCS bowl game for the next 10 years, at least. That was when Urban Meyer just arrived in the Big Ten, and before Jim Harbaugh took the Michigan job. Meyer and Harbaugh are the foreseeable future of the Big 10.